Pyrotechnic discharge apparatus



March 26, 1957 A. ORSINI ETAL 2,786,536

PYROTECHNIC DISCHARGE APPARATUS Filed March a, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /9 f I I6 I Anthony Orsini Richard P Kir/Cup INVENTORS ATTORNEY March 26, 1957 A. ORSINI EI'AL v 2,786,536

PYROTECHNIC DISCHARGE APPARATUS Filed March 8, 1954 2 SheetsSheet 2 Author! Orsiml Richar PKirlCup INVENTORS ATTORN EY United States Patent 2,786,536 PYROTECHNIQ DISQHARGE APPARATUS Anthony Orsini, Bergenfield, and Richard P. Kirkup,

Packanack Lake, N. J., assignors to Specialties Development Corporation, Belleville, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 8, 1954, Serial No. 414,727

Claims. (Cl. 169-6) This invention relates to apparatus for discharging fluid material such as liquid or dry powder, and, more particularly, to the type wherein a cartridge containing .a charge of burning substance is utilized for developing pressure medium adapted to expel the material from a storage container.

Heretofore, various forms of apparatus of the foregoing general description have been proposed wherein no safety provisions are included, or, where such provisions have been made, the pressure medium is discharged to atmosphere by operation of a safety device. Such discharge of the pressure medium to atmosphere is a fire and health hazard since the pressure medium is composed of hot, pressurized products of combustion which often flash upon contact with air and are toxic. It also has been proposed to discharge the pressure medium into the storage container at a point below the liquid or dry powder level to expel the same therefrom. In such devices, the discharge of the pressure medium causes the liquid or powder to foam or cloud violently, permitting the medium to pass through the fluid and escape through the container outlet before the fluid is completely discharged, thereby resulting in inefficient, erratic operation and premature loss of pressure. Discharge of the pressure medium into the fluid also causes the medium to cool whereby its pressure drops and the medium is less efficient in expelling the fluid material.

A further disadvantage of apparatus proposed heretofore is the necessity of disassembling, cleaning, reloading and reassembling the cartridge after each discharge, in order to prepare the apparatus for reuse.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide discharge apparatus of the foregoing type which is not subject to the aforementioned disadvantages.

Another object is to provide such apparatus, wherein the cartridge has means for metering the pressure medium into the container at a predetermined rate above the level of fluid to be discharged.

Another object is to provide such apparatus wherein the cartridge has safety means for conducting the pressure medium directly into the fluid container in the event that excessive pressures are developed in the cartridge and the fluid container has safety means for relieving excessive pressure therein which may be developed upon functioning of the cartridge safety means.

Another object is to provide a cartridge unit which is readily removed after use and replaced by a charged unit.

A further object is to provide such apparatus which is simple and economical in construction and eflicient in operation due to the construction and arrangement of the elements thereof.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

In accordance with the invention, the foregoing objects may be accomplished by providing discharge apparatus including a cartridge comprising a casing, partition means mounted in the casing for dividing the casing into an upper and a lower compartment for housing a charge of ignitible substance, the partition means including a strainer and a support for ignition means adapted to ignite the charge and the casing having a metering outlet in the upper compartment thereof.

In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, a rupturable closure is provided for the metering outlet and a safety opening in the lower compartment is provided with a rupturable closure.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view, partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section, of discharge apparatus in accordance with the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cartridge.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, there is shown a container 10 for storing material such as liquid or dry powder adapted for use as a fire extinguishing medium or the like. The container may be spherical in shape or may be generally cylindrical, in either case having hemi-spherical ends as shown. The container is constructed of suitable material to safely withstand a predetermined internal pressure.

The container 10 is formed with an outlet opening 11 at the lower end or bottom thereof, in which an outlet spud or nipple 12 is secured. The nipple has an internal shoulder 14 defining an outlet port, which port is sealed by a closure 15 secured against the shoulder by a plug 16 within the nipple. The closure 15 may be a thin frangible or rupturable disc designed to burst and unclose the outlet upon the attainment of a predetermined pressure within the container much less than the pressure which the container itself is designed to withstand.

The plug 16 is formed with an internal longitudinal bore 17, facing the closure 15, and a central zone 19 of reduced outside diameter to form an annular passageway 20 in the nipple surrounding the plug. A plurality of radial apertures 21 are formed in the central zone 19 to establish fluid flow communication between the bore 17 and the passageway 20, and a screen 22 is disposed within the bore 17 adjacent the apertures 21. An O-ring 24 seated in a suitable annular groove in the lower portion of the plug serves as a .seal between the plug and the nipple.

A fitting 25, for connecting the nipple to a pipe (not shown) adapted to conduct the material in the container to its point of use, is secured to the side of the nipple over an aperture 26 therein.

The top or upper end of the container 10 is formed with an opening 27 and has a coupling ring 29 secured thereto which is provided with an internal, upwardly facing, annular seat or shoulder 30.

A generally cylindrical cartridge 31 is provided with an external annular flange 32 at its upper end, which flange is seated on the shoulder 39, so that the cartridge depends into the container 10. In order to so position the cartridge, an annular locking ring 34- overlaps the flange 32 and is secured by screws 33 to the coupling ring 29.

As shown, the container 10 has a filling opening sealed by a closure 35 containing a safety disc 36 which is designed to burst at a pressure less than the pressure which the container is designed to withstand but greater than the burst pressure of the closure 15, in the event such pressure is established in the container.

As shown in Fig. 2, the cartridge 31 generally comprises a casing 37 having a closed bottom and an open top formed with an external annular flange 39, and a closure assembly 4% for the top opening. The casing further has a metering outlet 41 adjacently spaced from the top, and a normally closed safety outlet 42 in the bottom, the functions of these outlets being described hereinafter.

The closure assembly 4% comprises a concave disc 44, an igniter holder 4-5 and a strainer 46.

The disc 44 depends into the open top of the cartridge 31 and is formed with a central aperture 47 and with an annular peripheral flange 4% which fits over the flange 39 of the casing. A suitable gasket 49 may be placed between the flanges 39 and 48 for sealing the disc to the casing.

The disc 44 is secured to the casing by an annular ring 59 which is rolled over the surfaces of the flanges 39 and 48. The lower edge of the ring-is rolled back over itself to form a loop 51 for a purpose to be described.

The igniter holder 45 is a downwardly facing cupshaped member formed of a dielectric material having a centrally disposed upstanding projection 52 at its upper end and an axial bore 54 extending therethrough. An annular, peripheral shoulder 55 is provided at the external, lower edge of the side wall of the holder.

The projection '52 on the upper surface of the igniter holder is inserted into the aperture 47 in the disc 44 and a bolt 56 extends through the bore 54 to receive an insulating washer 57 and a nut, whereby the igniter holder abuts the lower surface of the disc 44.

he strainer 46 comprises a plurality of annular screens superimposed upon each other and surrounding the lower portion of the igniter holder 45. The inner edges of the strainer screens abut the shoulder 55' of the igniter holder and the outer edges thereof abut the inner wall surface of the cartridge, whereby the strainer serves to divide the cartridge into an upper chamber 59 and a lower chamber 66. A spring steel snap ring 58 is disposed against the upper chamber wall abutting the upper surface of the strainer 46.

A pair of conventional, electrically actuated squibs 61 is mounted within the cup-shaped igniter holder 45 together with a booster charge 62, for a purpose to be discussed hereinafter.

A charge of burning substance, such as slow burning powder adapted to develop pressure, is placed in the lower compartment 60 of the cartridge. As shown, the charge comprises a plurality of discs 64, formed of such powder, which are separated from each other and from the bottom of the cartridge, as well as from the strainer 46 and the side walls or" the cartridge, by spacers 65. The peripheral surfaces of the discs are covered with an inhibitor 66 to prevent the discs from burning at their peripheries, thereby insuring burning at an even rate.

The spacers 55 are strips of sheet metal having a Width equal to the desired distance between the powder discs 64. The spacers are twisted once at the centers thereof and are formed with short cross pieces at the ends thereof, which cross pieces overlap the outer surfaces of the discs to maintain them in the center of the cartridge. The cross pieces at the ends of the uppermost spacer serve to support the strainer 46 in the position shown.

The metering outlet ll, in the upper compartment 59, is preferably sealed by a rupturable disc 67 to keep foreign matter out of the cartridge during storage and to prevent fire extinguishing medium from entering the cartridge when assembled on the container (Fig. l). The disc is adapted to burst when the pressure in the cartridge attains a predetermined value.

The safety outlet 42, at the bottom of the casing, is similar to the metering outlet, but has a larger orifice and is provided with a rupturable disc 63 designed to burst upon the attainment of a pressure greater than that required to burst the disc 67 in the metering outlet, but less than that which the cartridge 31 is designed to withstand.

The electrical actuating system for firing the squibs includes the bolt 56, which serves as the incoming lead for the current, a pair of terminal connectors 69 in the igniter holder 45, only one of which is shown, connecting the bolt to the squibs, a third terminal connector 70 serving as a return lead from the squi'os to the closure 44 through a conductor 71 soldered to the closure, and a rivet 72 which extends through the igniter holder 45 and connects the conductor 71 and the connector 70. The casing is grounded, for example, through the container 10, in any convenient manner.

In order to prevent the squibs from being prematurely fired, as by accidental contact with a current carrying line, a short circuit line 74 is secured at one end to the cover 44 and is coiled about the top of the bolt 56, its other end being looped for a purpose to be described. An insulating collar 75 supports the coiled short circuit line at the top of the bolt.

To assemble the apparatus, the loaded cartridge is in serted into the container it) so that the loop 51 below the flange 39 is seated on the shoulder 30 of the coupling ring 29. The locking ring 34 is fastened down, as shown in Fig. 1, causing the loop 51 to flatten out to form a sealing gasket between the cartridge and the container.

As described thus far, an electrical current conductor contacting the cartridge or the short circuit line will merely go to ground through the container discharge fitting 25, or any other suitable grounding means.

To prepare the apparatus for service, the short circuit line 74 is grasped by'the loop at its end and removed. A suitable electrical supply conductor (not shown) controlled by an electrical switch is then electrically connected to the bolt 56 by soldering the same thereto, for example. To complete the circuit, the return side of the supply line may be soldered to the casing 10 at any convenient point.

In order to discharge the fluid from the container 10, a charge of electrical current is conducted to the squibs through the bolt 54 and the connectors 69 causing the squibs to fire and ignite the booster charge 62. Flame issuing downwardly from the booster charge into the lower compartment ignites each of the powder discs 64 at their upper and lower ends.

As the powder discs burn, the pressure in the cartridge is increased until the disc 67, serving as a closure for the metering outlet, bursts, whereupon the pressure medium in the cartridge passes through the strainer 46 which traps any solid particles which are carried off from the discs, to the upper compartment and is discharged through the metering outlet into the container 10, above the surface of the fluid therein, at. a predetermined rate. The snap ring 58 prevents the strainer from curling'under the influence of heat in the cartridge.

When the pressure in the container 10 reaches the desired value, the disc 15 at the bottom of the container bursts, thereby uncovering the opening 11 and permitting the fluid to be driven out through the plug 16 and the outlet fitting 25 in a continuous, even flowing manner. The screen 22 prevents particles of the ruptured discs 15 and 67 from reaching the fitting 25.

During operation, in the event the metering outlet should be blocked or remains closed, causing excessive pressure to develop in the cartridge, the disc 68 will rupture and allow the pressure medium to discharge into the container through the safety outlet 42, whereby the fire hazard due to discharge of combustion gases and products to the atmosphere is eliminated, and discharge of the fluid from the container 10 will occur, though without the same efliciency of operation as would be the case with discharge of pressure medium through the metering outlet.

Should the discharge of pressure medium from the cartridge cause a higher pressure in the container than it can safely withstand, the disc 36 will rupture before any failure occurs in the container itself.

To prepare the apparatus for subsequent service, the plug 16 is removed from the nipple 12 and emptied of disc particles, and, if necessary, the screen 22 may be replaced at this time. A new disc 15 is inserted and the plug is replaced. The ring 34 is then removed from the coupling ring 29 at the top of the container and the spent cartridge is lifted from its seat and discarded. The container is refilled through the ring 29 with fluid, such as fire extinguishing medium, a new cartridge is inserted, the ring 34 is replaced and the electrical connection is made as described heretofore.

If desired, a ring 77 may be horizontally supported in the container by a rod 79 connected at one end to the coupling ring 29, as shown in Fig. l. The ring surrounds the lower portion of the cartridge when it is inserted into the container and serves to indicate the maximum level to which the container should be filled with fluid, thereby assuring that the fluid level will not reach the metering outlet.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides simple and eflicient discharge apparatus wherein a metering outlet controls the pressure medium entering the container and directs the same into the container above the fluid level, wherefore foaming or clouding of the fluid medium in the container is eliminated and even discharge is assured. It will also be seen that the location of the cartridge safety outlet eliminates a fire hazard found in apparatus proposed heretofore and that the cartridge for the burning substance is disposable and may be readily replaced.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A pyrotechnic cartridge comprising a casing, and partition means mounted in said casing for dividing said easing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment for housing a charge of ignitible substance, said partition means including a strainer and a support for ignition means adapted to ignite the charge, said casing having a metering outlet in said upper compartment thereof.

2. A pyrotechnic cartridge comprising a casing, and partition means mounted in said casing for dividing said easing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment for housing a charge of ignitible substance, said partition means including a strainer and a support for ignition means adapted to ignite the charge, said casing having a metering outlet in said upper compartment thereof and having an opening in the lower compartment thereof, and rupturable means providing seals for said outlet and said opening.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said seal for said opening is adapted to withstand greater pressure than said seal for said outlet.

4. A pyrotechnic cartridge comprising a casing open at one end, a closure for said open end, a support for ignition means secured to the inner surface of said closure, a strainer in said casing surrounding said support and abutting the inner wall of said casing, said support and said strainer serving to partition said easing into an 6 upper compartment and a lower compartment for housing a charge of ignitible substance, said casing having a metering outlet in said upper compartment, and a rupturable closure for said outlet adapted to rupture upon attainment of a predetermined pressure in said casing.

5. A pyrotechnic cartridge comprising a casing having an opening at one end, a closure for said opening, a support for ignition means centrally disposed in said casing adjacent said closure and formed with a depending portion providing an external shoulder thereon, a strainer abutting said shoulder and extending radially therefrom to the wall of said casing whereby said support and said strainer serve to partition said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment for housing a charge of ignitible substance, strainer retaining means in said upper compartment adjacent said casing wall, and means in said lower compartment for supporting said strainer, said casing having a metering outlet in the upper compartment thereof.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein an opening is provided in said lower compartment, and rupturable means seal said outlet and said opening.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said rupturable means for said opening is adapted to withstand greater pressure than said rupturable means for said outlet.

8. A pyrotechnic cartridge comprising a casing, and partition means mounted in said casing for dividing said casing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, a charge of ignitible substance in said lower compartment, said partition means including a strainer and a support formed with a bore facing said lower compartment, and ignition means in said bore adapted to ignite said charge, said casing having a metering outlet in said upper compartment thereof.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said charge comprises a plurality of ignitible elements and spacer means are provided to support said elements in a predetermined position in said lower compartment.

10. A pyrotechnic cartridge comprising a casing having an opening at one end, a closure for said opening, a support secured to the inner surface of said closure formed with a downwardly facing bore and with an annular external shoulder, a strainer abutting said shoulder and extending radially therefrom to the wall of said casing whereby said support and said strainer serve to partition said easing into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, strainer retaining means in said upper compartment adjacent said casing wall, a plurality of ignitable discs in said lower compartment, spacer means in said lower compartment for supporting said discs in spaced relation with respect to said compartment walls and to each other, spring means in said lower compartment for urging said spacer means and said discs into frictional engagement, ignition means in said downwardly facing bore adapted to ignite each of said discs, a metering outlet in said upper compartment, an opening in said lower compartment, and rupturable means providing seals for said outlet and said opening, said seal for said opening being adapted to withstand greater pressure than said seal for said outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,631,675 Orsini Mar. 17,1953 

